the monachus guardian 8 (2): december 2005 · [email protected]. due in no small part to...
TRANSCRIPT
Armstrong, Roy and Nevin, Owen (2005) Mediterranean monk seal off Ginak
Island, The Gambia: a new sighting at the southern fringe of the known range.
The Monachus Guardian, 8 (2).
Downloaded from: http://insight.cumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/848/
Usage of any items from the University of Cumbria’s institutional repository ‘Insight’ must conform to the
following fair usage guidelines.
Any item and its associated metadata held in the University of Cumbria’s institutional repository Insight (unless
stated otherwise on the metadata record) may be copied, displayed or performed, and stored in line with the JISC
fair dealing guidelines (available here) for educational and not-for-profit activities
provided that
• the authors, title and full bibliographic details of the item are cited clearly when any part
of the work is referred to verbally or in the written form
• a hyperlink/URL to the original Insight record of that item is included in any citations of the work
• the content is not changed in any way
• all files required for usage of the item are kept together with the main item file.
You may not
• sell any part of an item
• refer to any part of an item without citation
• amend any item or contextualise it in a way that will impugn the creator’s reputation
• remove or alter the copyright statement on an item.
The full policy can be found here.
Alternatively contact the University of Cumbria Repository Editor by emailing [email protected].
Vol. 8 / No. 2 Published by Friends of the Monk Seal December 2005
International News
– including: UN meetings in Athens and Slovenia hear of
the monk seal’s imminent extinction – Ministers adopt
monk seal declaration
Hawaiian News
Mediterranean News
– including:
• Croatia
Back from the dead?
• Greece
Understanding fisheries: a new conservation initiative for
the monk seal in Greece
• Italy
Summer sightings at Orosei
• Madeira
New Ranger’s Station opens on the Desertas
• Mauritania & Western Sahara
Pupping season on the “Coast of the Seals”
• Turkey
Seal Rescue Network continues build-up
Features:
• Recent sightings of the monk seal in Croatian areas of the
Adriatic, by Martina Duras Gomercic, Tomislav Gomercic,
Duro Huber and Hrvoje Gomercic
• Mediterranean monk seal off Ginak Island, The Gambia: a
new sighting at the southern fringe of the known range, by
Roy Armstrong and Owen T. Nevin
Letters to the Editor
– including: The National Marine Rubbish Tip of Zakynthos,
by Claudio Groff, with a reply by Demetres Karavellas,
Director of WWF Greece
Recent Publications
Publishing Info
Greece: Can fishermen find a way to live peaceably withthe monk seal?
Madeira: Making monk seal conservation a seriousbusiness.
Croatia: Is the monk seal returning to the Adriatic?
Copyright © 2005 The Monachus Guardian. All Rights Reserved
Vol. 8 (2): December 2005
The last issue?
The future of The Monachus Guardian is unfortunately in doubt following our failure – at least, so
far – to attract necessary funding to continue publishing the journal.
Realising the significant role it has played in monk seal conservation over the years, and the
growing readership it enjoys, we are determined to keep the web site operating and – time
permitting – to publish news from the monk seal world on at least a biannual basis.
In that spirit, we are able to bring you the latest issue of The Monachus Guardian, albeit in a much-
reduced format. Regular readers will note the absence of key departments of the journal – Guest
Editorial, Cover Story, In Focus, Perspectives, and Monachus Science. We hope that these
sections will be restored should adequate funding be obtained in the months ahead.
In the meantime, we are obliged to focus our limited editorial, research and publication efforts only
on the most urgent news affecting the monk seal and its habitat. We also continue to publish the
Letters to the Editor section, a listing of Recent Publications, and contributions of PDF papers,
reports etc. to the Monk Seal Library.
Any leads on possible funding avenues that might keep The Monachus Guardian alive and kicking
would, of course, be gratefully received. A document detailing sponsorship opportunities and
benefits is available to potential supporters – please contact us for further information at
Due in no small part to the network of correspondents who have submitted news, opinion, articles
and scientific papers over the years, The Monachus Guardian has built up a real readership base
of at least 30,000 people – among them, students, teachers, researchers and journalists.
Realising the significance of this collective achievement, we are doing whatever we can to
continue publishing, and we take this opportunity of thanking all of you who have voiced support
for the project. – William M. Johnson.
Donate!
The Monachus Guardian is the only dedicated
source of news and information on the world’s
endangered monk seals, their shrinking habitat,
and the forces threatening their survival.
With a voluntary subscription or a simple
donation, you can help us and our partner
organisations in the field bring monk seals and
their conservation to a growing international
audience – decision makers, scientists, schools
and universities, journalists and many others.
By acting as a forum for international debate and
information exchange between geographically divided groups, www.monachus-guardian.org fulfils
long-established recommendations of conservation action plans for the species.
Please make your voluntary subscription or donation via Kagi, the leading
Internet service that ensures swift, secure online payments by credit card.
Kagi accepts American Express, Cart Blanche, Diner’s Club, Discover,
EuroCard, JCB, Optima, Nova, MasterCard and Visa credit and debit cards.
UN meetings in Athens and Slovenia hear of the monk seal’s imminent extinction
Nominally the coordinator of Mediterranean monk seal conservation internationally under the
auspices of the Mediterranean Action Plan of the Barcelona Convention, UNEP’s Regional Activity
Centre for Specially Protected Areas (RAC/SPA), tabled renewed calls for urgent action by
governments on behalf of Monachus monachus in recent meetings in Athens, Greece and
Portoroz, Slovenia.
A preparatory National Focal Points meeting in Athens on 21-24 September 2005 considered a
draft declaration and a set of recommendations on the monk seal to be submitted for approval to
the Contracting Parties of the Barcelona Convention at the Portoroz meeting on 8-11 November
2005.
In documents prepared by RAC/SPA, the UN body responsible for implementation of the Action
Plan for the Management of the Mediterranean Monk Seal, laments that “this species will shortly
become extinct in the Mediterranean unless urgent and strong measures are taken to protect it.”
It called upon the Contracting Parties to adopt a draft Declaration on the conservation of the monk
seal, and to consider action on a range of issues critical to the species’ survival, including
deliberate killing by fishermen and habitat destruction. There was no direct reference to previous
controversial and scientifically unreviewed proposals by RAC/SPA to resort to capture and
translocation experiments [see Mystery at RAC/SPA, TMG 6 (2): December 2003].
The document curiously calls upon the parties to make the “best possible use of the positive
experiences in Alonissos (Greece) and Foça (Turkey) to extend protection and conservation
actions to all the other known Mediterranean areas”, apparently oblivious to the management,
guarding and funding failures in both areas of late [see “When at last are you going to deal with
the environment, Mr. Minister?” TMG 8 (1): May 2005; Snared and Drowned, TMG 4(1): May
2001].
In its 2005 progress report, RAC/SPA also implies its funding, too, is insufficient to meet the needs
of the conservation programmes required of it. It goes on to say: “...the Parties to the Barcelona
Convention included among their priority targets to be achieved by 1995 the protection of the
Mediterranean monk seal (Genoa, 9-13 September 1985). The Mediterranean monk seal
population has declined rapidly and drastically in the almost 20 years since then. Further
international cooperation is needed to address the issue.”
During the 4-day meeting at Portoroz, experts and environment ministers from 21 Mediterranean
countries officially adopted the monk seal declaration and supported a range of urgent actions to
prevent the species’ extinction. Experience now suggests that nothing will happen.
Further information
RAC/SPA. 2005. Progress report of the activities of RAC/SPA. Seventh Meeting of National Focal Points for SPAs,
Seville, 31 May - 3 June 2005. UNEP/MAP, UNEP(DEC)/MED WG.268/4: 1-37. [PDF 449 KB]
RAC/SPA. 2005. Information report on the status of the monk seal in the Mediterranean. Seventh Meeting of
National Focal Points for SPAs, Seville, 31 May - 3 June 2005. UNEP/MAP, UNEP(DEC)/MED WG.268/Inf.3: 1-45.
[PDF 1019 KB]
RAC/SPA. 2005. Evaluation of the Mediterranean monk seal status. Meeting of MAP Focal Points, Athens
(Greece), 21-24 September 2005. UNEP/MAP, UNEP(DEC)/MED WG.270/Inf.22: 1-7. [PDF 127 KB]
RAC/SPA. 2005. Declaration on the monk seal risk of extinction in the Mediterranean. Meeting of MAP Focal
Points, Athens (Greece), 21-24 September 2005. UNEP/MAP, UNEP(DEC)/MED WG.270/17: 1-3. [PDF 77KB]
UNEP/MAP. 1987. Action plan for the management of the Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus).
United Nations Environment Programme, Mediterranean Action Plan (UNEP/MAP). Regional Activity Centre for
Specially Protected Areas, Tunis, Tunis & Athens. [PDF 18KB]
EndQuote
Global Warming Threat to Monk Seals
“Of even more significance than the impacts of global warming on
forestry will be the impacts on the world’s animal populations. A report
that’s being presented to the UK Presidency of the European Union this
week in Aviemore, Scotland by the UK Department for the Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs finds that: four out of five migratory birds listed
by the UN face problems ranging from lower water tables to increased
droughts, spreading deserts and shifting food supplies in their crucial
“fueling stations” as they migrate; one-third of turtle nesting sites in the
Caribbean – home to diminishing numbers of green, hawksbill and
loggerhead turtles – would be swamped by a sea level rise of 50cm
(20ins); shallow waters used by the endangered Mediterranean monk
seal, dolphins, dugongs and manatees will slowly disappear; whales,
salmon, cod, penguins and kittiwakes are being affected by shifts in
distribution and abundance of krill and plankton, which has declined in
places to a hundredth or thousandth of former numbers because of
warmer sea-surface temperatures; and fewer chiffchaffs, blackbirds,
robins and song thrushes are migrating from the UK due to warmer
winters while egg-laying is also getting two to three weeks earlier than
30 years ago, showing a change in the birds’ biological clocks.”
Source: Neuman, Michael T. 2005. Earth Headed for Global Warming Catastrophe.
Coastal Post, November 8, 2005.
Copyright © 2005 The Monachus Guardian. All Rights Reserved
Vol. 8 (2): December 2005
Marine refuge in NWHI’s shallow waters is a big win; deep water next
In late September, Hawaii’s Governor Linda Lingle signed sweeping rules that protect the shallow
state waters surrounding islands and atolls in the vast Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI)
archipelago. This far-flung archipelago is home to some of the most pristine coral reefs on earth
and is the location of the main breeding grounds for the highly endangered Hawaiian monk seal.
The new 640,000-acre state refuge, which extends three miles offshore, bans commercial and
recreational fishing from all state waters of the 1,200 mile long NWHI archipelago and sharply
restricts other activities while providing explicit recognition for Native Hawaiian traditional cultural
and subsistence practices. “These rules set in motion the most significant marine conservation
initiative in the history of Hawaii by creating the state’s largest marine refuge,” said Governor
Lingle.
Diverse groups made this victory possible: In a speech announcing the new protections, the
governor thanked Environmental Defense, Kahea and other organizations for their advocacy and
leadership with the broad network of Native Hawaiian leaders, fishers and scientists who pushed
for strong protections. She described the pivotal meeting with fishers and Native Hawaiian cultural
practitioners that Environmental Defense had arranged for her in 2001, introducing her to
importance of establishing strong protections for the NWHI. Over the past five years, state and
federal officials have received more than 100,000 written testimonials in support of the strong
conservation measures for the islands. In addition, Environmental Defense collected signatures
from over 400 of the world’s leading coral reef scientists in support of strong protections for the
NWHI.
Next, extend protection to deeper water: “Governor Lingle’s signing of the Northwestern
Hawaiian Islands Refuge protections is one of the most visionary acts of environmental protection
ever undertaken by a state government,” said Stephanie Fried, an Oahu-based senior scientist
with Environmental Defense. The governor’s support did not stop there. Lingle also called for
closing all federal waters to fishing, which would create the world’s largest marine protected area
where fishing is not allowed.
Federal protections for the 84-million-acre NWHI are under review. The Western Pacific fishery
management council (Wespac) opposes strong protections and even aims to weaken existing
safeguards for federal waters. “We urge the federal government to respond to the public input and
the bold steps taken by Gov. Lingle and provide equally stringent protections for federal waters,”
said Fried. ”To do otherwise would be irresponsible.”
Peter Young, chairman of the state’s Board of Land and Natural Resources, said: “As one of the
last pristine wilderness locations on earth, it is only right to consider the long-term preservation of
this area and strive to have one place that is free from extraction.” – Environmental Defense.
How you can help: Federal protections for the NWHI are currently under review and Wespac has
launched a vigorous campaign to weaken protections. Sign up with the Environmental Defense
Action Network to receive notification of opportunities for public comment.
http://actionnetwork.org/EDF_Action_Network/home.html
More about the new Northwestern Hawaiian Islands State Refuge:
Hawaii Governor Safeguards Northwest Hawaiian Islands. Environment News Service, 30/09/2005.
Fishing banned in NW isles. Hawaii Star Bulletin, 30/09/2005.
Governor’s press release on new NWHI refuge: http://www.hawaii.gov/dlnr/chair/pio/HtmlNR/05-N99.htm
Marine Mammal Commission report
The Marine Mammal Commission’s Annual Report to Congress for 2004 was published shortly
after we went to press in May. For those interested in current Hawaiian monk seal population
trends, human and natural threats to the species, the future of the Coral Reef Ecosystem
Reserve, and efforts to encourage Monachus schauinslandi’s repopulation of the Main Hawaiian
Islands, the MMC report is an indispensable guide.
The report is available for download from the Monk Seal Library:
Marine Mammal Commission. 2005. Annual Report to Congress, 2004. Marine Mammal Commission, Bethesda,
Maryland: 1-163. [PDF 2.1MB]
Copyright © 2005 The Monachus Guardian. All Rights Reserved
Vol. 8 (2): December 2005
Croatia / The Gambia / Greece / Italy / Madeira / Mauritania & Western Sahara / Turkey
Croatia
Back from the dead?
Amid great media excitement, an animal identified as a Mediterranean monk seal was sighted and
filmed by a Croatian television reporter at 10:30 AM on 18 June 2005, writes Jasna Antalovic of
the Zagreb-based Mediterranean Monk Seal Group (Grupa Sredozemna Medvjedica).
Stills obtained from the footage at Mala Srakana.
Following a long history of persecution by fishermen and hunters, and unsuccessful surveys in
recent years to identify occupied habitat, the species had been considered extinct in the Croatian
Adriatic.
The seal sighted at Cape Verudela near Pula.
The reporter for Croatian National Television, Mr
Boris Vehar, made his first sighting of the seal on
the island of Mala Srakana near Losinj, swimming
about 3 meters from the shore. Apparently startled
by the noise of the 5-6 people on the beach who
had also spotted it, the seal swam away. Taking
his video camera, Vehar proceeded to film the
animal as it left the scene, and managed to obtain
about 2 minutes of footage at 50-100 meters.
Yet another monk seal was observed and
photographed at approximately 13.00 hrs on 22
November 2005 at Cape Verudela near Pula
(Istria). The seal was photographed by Mr Bonet, an Italian from Trentino, who was walking
around Verudela as a tourist. It was the 30th time that a monk seal had been seen this year in the
Adriatic. – Jasna Antalovic, GSM.
Editor’s note: For further information on recent observation records in Croatia, see our
companion article Recent Sightings of the Monk Seal in Croatian areas of the Adriatic by Martina
Duras Gomercic, Tomislav Gomercic, Duro Huber and Hrvoje Gomercic.
The Gambia
For news of a recent reported sighting of the Mediterranean monk seal in The Gambia, please
turn to Mediterranean Monk Seal off Ginak Island, The Gambia: a new sighting at the southern
fringe of the known range, by Roy Armstrong and Owen T. Nevin.
Greece
Understanding fisheries: a new conservation initiative for the monk seal in Greece
Critical contact: changing
attitudes between fishermen and
seals.
MOm, leading an international consortium of conservation and
research bodies (WWF Greece, Greek National Institute of
Fisheries Research, Erasmus University of Rotterdam, University
of Aberdeen), has just started a new 4 year initiative to address
the conflict between monk seals and coastal fisheries, a key
issue in the conservation of Monachus monachus in Greece.
The project, co-financed through the LIFE-Nature Programme of
the European Commission and other national (Prefecture of
Magnesia) and international bodies (International Fund for
Animal Welfare), is supported by both the Hellenic Ministries of
Environment and of Rural Development and Food.
The MOFI project’s (officially entitled “Monk Seal & Fisheries:Mitigating the Conflict in Greek Seas”) main objective is to
improve the conservation status of the European Union’s largest
population of the critically endangered Mediterranean monk seal
by mitigating the negative consequences of this interaction, thus
leading to a decrease in the overall mortality rate of the species
and to a decrease in the loss of the fishermen’s income through
the provision of socio-economic incentives. Activities will be
implemented simultaneously:
● At the two most important monk seal breeding sites in Greece (the National Marine Park of
Alonissos and the island complex of Kimolos-Polyaigos), in order to measure the actual
intensity of the seal-fishery interaction relative to fishing effort, and to assess for the first
time the effects of acoustic deterrence devices on this interaction, in close collaboration with
local fishermen.
● At 7 “hot spots” (areas with intense seal-fishery interactions), awareness actions will cultivate
a “working relationship” with the local fishing communities of these areas. Through open
interviews with professional fishermen, aquaculture owners, fishery and port police
authorities, data will be collected to obtain a measure of the extent and effects of the seal-
fishery interactions and on possible solutions to resolve the existing conflict.
● At the national level, record data on the overall distribution of the seal-fishery interaction and
to monitor the mortality causes and the status of the species. In addition, animals needing
emergency care will be rescued and treated, leading to a reduction in the species mortality.
Furthermore, analysis of stomach content samples will help determine the species’ feeding
preferences for the first time.
Based on the results of these activities and in consultation with all relevant stakeholders, an Action
Plan to mitigate the seal-fishery conflict and a strategy for the conservation of the species will be
elaborated and widely publicized.
It is expected that the MOFI project will result in:
● Reducing the fisheries related mortality of monk seals (deliberate killings of animals and
entanglements in fishing gear) throughout the country.
● Evaluating for the first time the effectiveness of acoustic deterrent devices on reducing the
monk seal-fishery interaction and identifying the feeding preferences of the monk seal,
providing quantified evidence on the consumption of marketable fish species.
● Implementing a scientifically sound methodology to measure the magnitude and effects of
seal-fisheries interaction on a national level.
● Involving all key stakeholders in the project’s activities, thus decreasing their disinterest and
negative attitude towards the conservation of the monk seal.
● Preparing a feasible – and ready for immediate implementation – Monk Seal-Fisheries
Action Plan with maximum possible consensus among key stakeholders (fishermen,
aquaculture owners, local and national authorities and environmental organizations).
– Dr. Spyros Kotomatas, MOm.
Learning more about Monachus monachus
Public awareness in the Cyclades.
A new prototype educational package in the form
of a “suitcase” was produced as part of a project
carried out by MOm in the Cyclades area in
collaboration with the regional government of the
Southern Aegean. The educational package
contains leaflets, booklets, comics, posters, slides,
videotapes, and games. The educational
“suitcase” will travel all over the Cyclades with the
collaboration of local educators, who will be
responsible for using it.
With the support of its new corporate partner, the
mobile telephone operator TIM Hellas, MOm has
designed a new educational CD-ROM, aiming to inform and educate students in the Cyclades
Islands. The CD includes information about the Mediterranean monk seal, interactive games, a
photo gallery, information about the natural environment of the Cyclades area and videos related
to the endangered species and its habitats. The production and distribution of the CD is part of the
overall programme “Awareness and Information in the Cyclades”, supported by TIM. – Stella
Adamantopoulou and Danae Protopapa, MOm.
Pup boom…continues
Monk seal pup at Polyaigos.
Following a record-breaking year in 2004, when
35 newborn pups were recorded throughout the
country, MOm’s research team has been awaiting
with great anticipation this year’s pupping season.
Considering the importance of accurate population
censuses for the effective management of the
species, and despite the limited financial support
available for research and monitoring activities,
MOm has managed to carry on monitoring efforts
in the area of the Northern Sporades and the
Kimolos–Polyaigos island complex. The birth of 12
pups so far in the wider Kimolos area confirms
once again its importance for the species and
justifies MOm’s continuing efforts to have the site declared a National Marine Park. In other areas
of the Cyclades, 6 additional pups have been recorded. In the Northern Sporades meanwhile, as
part of MOm’s ongoing conservation activities in the area, 9 new pups have been recorded so far.
– Alexandros Karamanlidis, MOm.
The Greek state’s ongoing tourism
campaign “Live your myth in Greece” –
a fitting description, perhaps, of the
country’s so-called “protected areas”
that still have no functioning
management authorities or
operational funding.
No news is… bad news …for management bodies
in the protected areas of Greece
21 months and still counting… and the “new” Minister and
Deputy Minister of Environment have not taken a single
substantial step towards the effective operation of the
management bodies of protected areas in Greece. The case
of the Northern Sporades Marine Park is typical of what
remains the situation in most areas…
Since August 2004, the board members of the management
body remain inactive, awaiting their replacement. Funding,
allocated to cover expenses for the management of the Park
for the 2004-2006 period, still remains somewhere in the
vaults of the Ministry because of bureaucratic obstacles and
political unwillingness to support nature conservation. And
last but not least, recently, the President of the Board, Prof.
N. Dalezios, announced his unofficial resignation, but
practically effective since early in the year… Could things
get any worse?
Greek NGOs, including MOm, are intensifying their
campaign at the EU level to persuade EU officials and
especially the Commissioner for the Environment, Mr. S.
Dimas, to take legal action against the Greek State. – Panos Dendrinos, MOm.
Cancellation of military exercise on protected islets in the Aegean Sea
On the 27th and 28th of September, a military exercise with live ammunition was scheduled to be
carried out by the Greek Army on the islets of Anhydro and Petrokaravo in the Eastern Aegean.
These islets are part of the North Dodecanese Permanent Wildlife Refuge, which was established
by Greek law in 2004, as a result of the research and conservation work of the environmental
NGO, Archipelagos Aigaiou.
Coastal monitoring at Anhydro.
Anhydro and Petrokaravo are uninhabited islets with very limited
human presence. With sheltered caves and rich fish stocks in
the surrounding waters, they constitute an ideal habitat for a
small resident population of Mediterranean monk seals that live
and breed there. In order to ensure the conservation of this seal
population, as well as of the other populations in the broader
North Dodecanese region, Archipelagos Aigaiou has, during the
past 5 years, collaborated closely with the local fishermen, in an
effort to actively involve them in the conservation of the monk
seal and also to seek solutions to the problem of damage
caused by seals to fishing gear.
The terrestrial habitats of Anhydro and Petrokaravo are also of
great environmental importance as they constitute breeding sites
for Eleonora’s falcon, Cory’s and Yelkouan shearwater, shag
and other protected bird species.
Archipelagos Aigaiou carried out coordinated actions in order to
alert the ministries responsible, the military authorities, as well as
the heads of the scheduled exercise. Initially there were objections to the cancellation, but the
actions of Archipelagos resulted in the military exercise ultimately being cancelled. Despite the
adverse weather conditions and the potential dangers involved, some of Archipelagos’ members
were on Anhydro and Petrokaravo from dawn of 27th September, while others were closely
monitoring the area from boats. In support, a number of local fishermen were also present in the
area.
Eleonora’s falcon chick.
The cancellation effort was also supported by
many members of the international scientific
community. Our colleague, Dr. Giuseppe
Notarbartolo di Sciara, coordinated a dynamic
reaction worldwide from many scientists,
environmental organizations and institutes, who
greatly contributed to the effort by contacting, and
exercising pressure on, the ministries responsible.
Following the above events, the issue of this
military exercise was brought to the Greek
Parliament, and we are soon expecting an official
written confirmation that Anhydro and Petrokaravo
will never be used as firing ranges in the future. With the cancellation of this exercise, apart from
the fact that the destruction of the island ecosystems and the rare species they support was
prevented, a precedent has now been set for the first time in Greece for restriction of the use of
live ammunition in environmentally important areas. Using this precedent, Archipelagos Aigaiou,
with continued biodiversity surveys in the Aegean Sea and the support of the international
scientific community, aims to achieve the cancellation of exercises using live ammunition near
habitats supporting protected species in the coastal zone and the open sea. Unfortunately, in
Greece today a large number of such exercises still take place, resulting in significant
environmental damage. – Anastasia Miliou, Scientific Director, Archipelagos Aigaiou.
Mediterranean News continues with Italy, Madeira, Mauritania & Western Sahara and Turkey...
Copyright © 2005 The Monachus Guardian. All Rights Reserved
Vol. 8 (2): December 2005
Croatia / The Gambia / Greece / Italy / Madeira / Mauritania & Western Sahara / Turkey
Italy
Summer sightings at Orosei
On 26 August 2005 two monk seals were observed off the coast of Capo Monte Santo in the Gulf
of Orosei, Sardinia. The observer was a police helicopter pilot, who was flying approximately 100
meters above sea level and 300 meters from the coast. – Emanuele Coppola, Gruppo Foca
Monaca.
Madeira
Call for Sightings
Madeira’s monk seal monitoring programme remains on course at the
Desertas Islands. Although we have not detected any newborn pup so
far this season, we are expecting the birth of at least two pups.
On Madeira Island we have developed a public awareness campaign
that includes talks at schools and public recreation centres to advise
people how to behave in the presence of a monk seal. As indicated in
previous issues of TMG, there have been increasing instances of human-
seal interactions on Madeira. A poster has been produced to coincide
with the campaign, requesting members of the public to volunteer
sightings information. – Rosa Pires, Parque Natural da Madeira.
New Ranger’s Station opens on the Desertas
The Desertas Islands’ new ranger’s station was officially inaugurated on 18 June by the Regional
Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources. The inauguration featured a regatta and a
windsurfing race from Funchal to the Desertas, widely publicised in the Madeiran media.
The Regional Secretary of Environment and
Natural Resources with PNM rangers on the
Desertas Islands.
The new ranger’s station on Deserta Grande.
The new station is divided into three areas: a residence for Park staff, accommodation for visiting
researchers, and a small exhibition area focusing on the Reserve. – Rosa Pires, Parque Natural
da Madeira.
Mauritania & Western Sahara
New encampment in the “Coast of the Seals” Reserve
The new encampment at the Coast of Seals.
A new encampment has been built over the cliffs
of the Coast of the Seals in order to replace the
old one, already very damaged by time, sand and
wind. The new facilities provide more comfortable
conditions for the surveillance team and scientists
that work daily there for the conservation of the
Cabo Blanco monk seal colony.
The encampment will also be equipped soon with
solar and wind power systems in order to provide
stable and reliable electric current to the cameras
and TV systems that monitor the interior of the
Cabo Blanco breeding caves. – Hamadi M’Barek.
CBD-Habitat.
Pupping season on the “Coast of the Seals”
This 2005 breeding season in Cabo Blanco, births have begun sooner than ever previously
observed. Six births have been detected in the month of August, and during September, peak of
this breeding season, 12 births have been registered. To date, with the breeding season not
ended yet, 29 pups have been born in the two main breeding caves of the Cabo Blanco peninsula.
Fortunately, and as already happened in the 2004 breeding season, such “earlier births” mean
that pups are older when the storms and high swell season arrives around the end of October,
resulting in a lower pup mortality rate. In the last two years the rate has been around 30% in
contrast to previous years, when it ranged around 40-50%. – Michel Cedenilla and Mulaye Haye.
CBD-Habitat.
Coastal expedition in the “Song of the Whale”
A coastal reconnaissance is mounted by Zodiac
from IFAW’s Song of the Whale.
In May 2005, within the framework of the
International Monk Seal Recovery Plan in the
Eastern Atlantic, developed by Morocco,
Mauritania, Portugal and Spain (Convention on
Migratory Species, UNEP/CMS), the coastline
between Cabo Corbeiro and Castillete de la Mesa was surveyed. Due to its inaccessibility, this area
had yet to be adequately explored. The survey
was performed jointly by technicians of CBD-
Habitat, the Institute National de Recherché
Halieutique du Maroc (INRH), the International
Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), the local NGO
Nature Initiative and the Haut commissariat des
Eaux et Forêt du Maroc, onboard IFAW’s sailboat The Song of the Whale. Several terrestrial
expeditions to the areas were performed previously to determine the nature of the coast. The
objective of the marine survey was to determine the possible presence of other monk seal
colonies or to locate habitat used by seals from the Cabo Blanco population. Although no monk
seals were observed between Cap Corbeiro and Castillete de la Mesa, several recent sightings by
fishermen were recorded, suggesting that the area is used by seals. While we could not determine
the degree of occupation or use of the coast, we were able to identify areas and caves that could
potentially be used by seals. We also identified human threats, mostly related to illegal fishing and
the collection of molluscs and crustaceans, as well as a trend towards generally increasing human
pressure. A more regular monitoring of this coastline is being planned under the framework of the
Monk Seal Action Plan in the Atlantic. – Pablo Fernández de Larrinoa, CBD-Habitat.
Mediterranean News continues with Turkey...
Copyright © 2005 The Monachus Guardian. All Rights Reserved
Vol. 8 (2): December 2005
Croatia / The Gambia / Greece / Italy / Madeira / Mauritania & Western Sahara / Turkey
Turkey
Seal Watch-IV project
Monk seal presence in Turkish waters used to be widespread but has suffered a severe decline
because of deliberate killing, loss of habitat, and diminished prey availability. Although observation
sessions and sightings indicated that a few monk seals are present in the Izmir Bay, except for a
one month pilot study conducted in 1997, to date no continuous monitoring has been carried out
(24 h/day) in the coastal caves determined previously. Our aim with the Seal Watch study has
been to monitor the hidden life of the monk seals based on the most used seal breeding cave in
which three pups were born between 1999 and 2001. The study was conducted between October
2001 and February 2004, and used a TV surveillance system consisting of 4 TV cameras, 4 IR
illumination sources, 4 monitors, and a video recorder.
Of 7,436 hours of recordings, 202 (2.7 %) hours of monk seal images (25 events) were collected.
When the Seal Watch-IV system was in operation, no breeding was encountered. However, with
the system, seals were found to be active during night (possibly foraging), mean sleeping duration
of juvenile seals was calculated as 8,3 h, at least 6 seals (of which 3 were identified by way of the
system) were found using the cave, and the possible home range was estimated as 20 km. Seal
Watch systems were found effective in collection of data. However, it should be noted that the
system is not recommended for caves with high humidity and wave action because of corrosion
and short-circuiting problems. – Harun Güçlüsoy, SAD-AFAG.
Seal Rescue Network continues build-up
AFAG staff introduce the rescue network to local
inhabitants.
SAD-AFAG, in cooperation with the Greek NGO
MOm, has already established a monk seal
rescue and information network (AFBIKA) on the
south-west Marmara and Aegean coasts of
Turkey, between Karabiga – Fethiye, with the
financial support of the EC. This network, with its
136 individual or organisational/company
members, is now operational and is providing
recent sightings data for SAD-AFAG.
SAD-AFAG, in cooperation with the Dokuz Eylul
University - Institute of Marine Sciences and
Technology, received additional funding from EC
sources through REC (the Regional Environment
Centre) for developing the AFBIKA further east, on the Mediterranean coasts of Turkey. In this
study, the project team will visit the coastal settlements between Fethiye and Samandag and
seek out local contacts to participate in the network. Thanks to the REC and EC financial support
and the technical know-how and labour of the Institute of Marine Sciences, SAD-AFAG will begin
to store all its monk seal sightings data in GIS.
Through these means, it is hoped that a clearer picture of the species’ status in Turkey will
emerge. The project is expected to conclude by the end of February. – Yalçin Savas, SAD-AFAG.
Zoning Plan of Foça Marine Protection Area undergoing revision
A new project to be executed in Foça, with the support of the EC through REC (the Regional
Environment Centre), will further develop the zoning plan of the Foça Marine Protection Area to
include bird habitat and sea grass meadows. The grant was obtained by the Foça Municipality,
which is collaborating with SAD-AFAG, Dokuz Eylul University - Institute of Marine Sciences, the
Aegean Nature Society based in Izmir and the Foça Public Library to achieve the project’s goals.
A zoning plan, based on monk seal data, had
previously already been developed and submitted
to the government as a result of a project
supported by the EU’s SMAP program in which
WWF MedPO and SAD-AFAG were partners. That
zoning plan is to result in the enlargement of the
Foça Specially Protected Area, following its
submission by the Authority for the Specially
Protected Areas to the Council of Ministers.
The area’s zoning plan will now be developed
further by including bird habitat and sea grass
beds.
Field studies have continued to map the Posidonia oceanica meadows, to determine threat factors
and to develop methods of decreasing the degradation seen in sea grass beds in certain spots.
Foça’s avifauna was first studied in the early 1990s. Through this project, the area will again be
studied for its avifauna, though with a emphasis on protected area management.
All new information to be extracted by the project as well as already existing data will be stored in
GIS for evaluation and for long-term monitoring of the Foça Specially Protected Area.
A visitor’s information centre will also be established, to be set-up within the Foça Public Library,
with information boards about local nature and the protected area, and a mini cinema with 30
seats. – Yalçin Savas, SAD-AFAG.
Meeting may accelerate conservation objectives
The Technical Sub-Committee (TSC), which consists of the core members of Turkey’s National
Mediterranean Monk Seal Committee, held its first meeting in several years on 7 December 2005
at the Ministry of Environment and Forests in Ankara. Representatives of the Nature Protection
and National Parks General Directorate, SAD-AFAG and METU Institute of Marine Science
attended, as well as the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Tourism & Culture and the Authority for
Specially Protected Areas (ASPA).
Cem Orkun Kiraç and Dr. Ali Cemal Gücü made presentations on behalf of their organizations,
SAD-AFAG and METU-IMS respectively. In both presentations, the TSC members were briefed
about monk seal research and conservation activities, including national and international projects
carried out between 2000 and 2005. The updated information provided a basis for further
discussions during the meeting.
In the first round of discussions and negotiations focusing on the conservation of the monk seal
along Turkish coasts, SAD-AFAG requested that implementation of management plans covering 3
coastal areas (also designated as ‘Important Monk Seal Sites’) – namely Foça, the Karaburun
Peninsula and west Mersin coasts – be speeded up. This met a positive response from the
Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF). The coastal zone management plans for Foça,
Karaburun and west Mersin coasts had been produced by SAD-AFAG in cooperation with the
Ministry of Environment during an EC-funded SMAP project between 2002 and 2004 [TMG,
passim].
METU-IMS requested that MoEF place a warning plate at the entrance of a monk seal cave near
Silifke (near Mersin) in order to caution visitors that the cave is used by monk seals and human
access is prohibited. However, a MoEF delegate rejected the idea, claiming that such a plate may,
on the contrary, attract more people by arousing even greater curiosity.
SAD-AFAG emphasized the importance of replacing the Foça SPA patrol boat ‘Cevre’, which has
been out of action for some time, being beyond repair. The MoEF immediately approved the idea
and asked ASPA to provide a new vessel, since Foça comes under its jurisdiction as an SPA.
In another development the MoEF will be requesting the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) that it
receive renewed representation in the Aqua Products Council, thereby allowing it to take part in
the decisions governing fishery rules and codes of practice handed down every year. This idea is
supported by METU-IMS and SAD-AFAG so as to encourage a more balanced decision making
process in the council that will prove fairer to conservation interests.
METU-IMS has asked both the MoA and MoEF to enhance control of illegal fishery activities and
to maintain existing trawler bans along the west Mersin coasts, thereby helping to support
recovery of the monk seal colony and increase the viability of the species in the area. SAD-AFAG
strongly urged the MoA and MoEF to maintain the ban on the targetting of Dusky grouper
(Epinephelus marginatus) and Dogtooth grouper (E. caninus) by divers armed with harpoons, on
the grounds that it will benefit both monk seals and artisanal fishermen. MoA will consider SAD-
AFAG’s proposal and respond in due course.
Last but not least, SAD-AFAG’s proposal for enlargement of the Foça SPA in a northern direction
up to Cape Aslan (covering Hayirsiz and Kartdere Islands and adjacent mainland coasts) will be
put into force immediately, as stated by the representative from ASPA. The idea of enlargement
derives from previous attempts by SAD-AFAG to bring a concrete status for 5 high-priority
Important Monk Seal Sites in Turkey. The decision to press ahead with expansion was
subsequently confirmed by Mr. Osman Pepe, Minister of Environment & Forests in a press
meeting held on 7 May 2004 in Çiragan Palace in Istanbul, attended by Yalçin Savas of SAD-
AFAG. – Cem Orkun Kiraç, SAD-AFAG.
Oh, that scientific accuracy
EndQuote
“Did You Know? The Mediterranean monk seal is one of three species
of monk seals; all were named for their brown or black coats, which
reminded someone of a monk’s robe.”
Source: National Geographic Society and WWF. 2005. Wildworld, Ecoregion
Profile, Atlantic coastal desert (PA1304) http://www.nationalgeographic.com.
Copyright © 2005 The Monachus Guardian. All Rights Reserved
Vol. 8 (2): December 2005
Recent Sightings of the Monk Seal
in Croatian areas of the Adriatic
Martina Duras Gomercic, Tomislav Gomercic, Duro Huber and Hrvoje Gomercic
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Along with the common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) and the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiopstruncatus), the monk seal (Monachus monachus) used to be a regular inhabitant of the Adriatic
Sea. According to notes by Spiridion Brusina, a Croatian zoologist of the 19th century, the central
and the southern parts of the Adriatic Sea were considered to be one of the most significant
habitats of this species. Local people called it “sea man”, “sea devil”, “sea calf” or “sea bear” – the
latter as it is referred to in the first Croatian document about this species, a poem by Mavro
Vetranovic Cavcic, composed in the period from 1482 - 1576.
The monk seal male caught in 1777 off the island of Cres found its way to Johann Hermann. His
detailed observations of this specimen, published in 1779, were considered the first modern
scientific description of this species. Before any serious scientific research could be undertaken,
the monk seal, as well as the common dolphin, had disappeared from the Adriatic Sea. The last
confirmed habitat of two specimens of monk seal was near the island of Pag in 1992. In the
summer of 1993 the monk seal was seen near the island of Palagruza for a short period of time.
In the past year or so, a large number of monk seal sightings have been noted in the Croatian
part of the Adriatic. The locations of these sightings are indicated on the accompanying map (Fig.
1), while further data on each observation are provided under the corresponding number in the
table below.
All the reports have one common characteristic: only one specimen was observed. The animal
was normally observed by only one individual but there were also sightings by two, three, four
people and sometimes even larger groups.
Map of sightings
The specimen was most frequently observed by those familiar with the sea: fishermen and divers.
Taking into consideration all these factors, we conclude that at least one monk seal has been
wandering across the Adriatic over the past year. Although it is not possible to be 100 percent
certain that all the sightings are of Monachus monachus (conceivably, another species of true seal
that has escaped captivity might be involved), we believe that the most recent sightings could well
be of a Mediterranean monk seal — possibly a solitary visitor from the nearest population in the
central Ionian Sea which wandered into the Croatian part of the Adriatic but has yet to settle in
one area.
Markedobservation
location
Observationdate
Latitude;Longitude Animal -observerdistance
(m)
Duration ofobservation
Kind ofobserver
Previoussightinginterval
km/days
1 15.5.2004 N42°52';E17°27' 10-15 ? Professionalfisherman
-
2 16.5.2004 N42°52';E17°27' 10-15 ? Professionalfisherman
0/1
3 26.5.2004 N44°05';E15°00' 20-100 5 min Non-professionalfisherman
240/10
4 1.8.2004? N43°59';E15°04' 30 ? Non-professionalfisherman
12/66?
5 23.10.2004 N43°42';E15°39' 3-4 ? Professionalfisherman
56/83?
6 22.4.2005 N44°15';E14°47' 1-2 3-5 min Professionalfisherman
93/181
7 24.4.2005 N45°05';E13°37' 10-60 5 min Divers 131/2
8 4.5.2005 N44°33';E14°27' 100 10 sec Touristwalkers
89/10
9 15.6.2005? N44°22';E14°39' ? ? Diver 26/42?
10 18.6.2005 N44°34';E14°18' ? ? TV crew,recorded byTV camera
36/3?
11 22.6.2005 N44°28';E14°31' ? ? Tourists onboard a ship
20/4
12 1.7.2005? N44°52';E13°46' ? ? Divers 74/9?
13 19.7.2005 N44°57';E14°03' ? 30 min Non-professionalfisherman?
24/18?
14 27.7.2005 N44°01';E15°05' 30 5 min Non-professionalfishermen
132/8
15 27.7.2005 N44°02';E15°04' 50 5 min Non-professionalfishermen
2/0
16 27.8.2005 N44°56';E14°32' 4-5 5 min Diver 109/31
17 4.10.2005 N44°41';E14°41' 20 15 sec Professionalfishermen
30/38
Copyright © 2005 Martina Duras Gomercic, Tomislav Gomercic, Duro Huber, Hrvoje Gomercic, The Monachus Guardian. All Rights Reserved
Vol. 8 (2): December 2005
Mediterranean monk seal off Ginak Island, The Gambia:
a new sighting at the southern fringe of the known range
Dr. Roy Armstrong
Dr. Owen T Nevin
Centre for Animal Conservation, School of Natural Resources,
University of Central Lancashire, Penrith, CA11 0AH, United Kingdom
Phone: +44-177-289-4121; Fax: +44-177-289-4990
Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
On April 13th 2005, we visited the village of Ginak (also spelled Jinak) in the Niumi National Park,
The Gambia, with a view to identifying suitable study sites for fieldwork on a range of marine
vertebrates. During the visit we were introduced to Saidou Jammeh, an old fisherman who had
worked all of his life in the area around Ginak. Through an interpreter we interviewed Mr Jammeh
about the status of a range of marine vertebrates including West African Manatee, Atlantic
Humpback Dolphin and marine turtles. In view of recent records of Mediterranean Monk Seal in
The Gambia, for example a juvenile off the Bijol Islands on November 3rd 1997 (Van Waerebeek
et al. 2001), during the interview we also asked about seals. Mr Jammeh was presented with
images of all of our target species and asked whether he was familiar with each and whether they
could be seen around Ginak. Great care was taken not to “lead” Mr Jammeh. Once he had
confirmed the presence of any species, he was questioned about the natural history of each to
confirm that he was genuinely familiar with each and not simply telling the interviewer what he
wanted to hear.
Mr Jammeh confirmed that West African Manatee,
Atlantic Humpback Dolphin and a range of marine
turtle species were present; carapaces of Green
and Olive Ridley were identified and Leatherback
was convincingly described. He also confirmed
that he was familiar with Monk Seals and that he
had observed them many times. To try to rule out
misidentification or falsification, he was asked how
seals differed from manatees, a species he was
clearly very familiar with. He pointed out that they
had a different shaped tail, ate fish, were more
“aggressive” and were found around rocky areas
and caves. The latter point was of particular interest as it may indicate a breeding population.
When further questioned about the caves it was not clear whether he was referring to caves on
land or caves in rocky areas underwater. Although we explained to our interpreter that it was
important to distinguish between caves that might be suitable for breeding and caves meaning
underwater rocky areas, difficulties in translation led us to conclude that we could not be certain
that Mr Jammeh was referring to suitable breeding areas. In view of the sensitivity of much of the
information we had received, and the fact that we knew we would return in the winter of
2005/2006, we did not push this issue any further.
From the interview, we concluded that Mr Jammeh was familiar with monk seals and that this
species was regularly present in the area around Niumi National Park. As part of the University of
Central Lancashire’s Project Gambia, it is anticipated that a fuller picture of the status and
distribution of monk seals in The Gambia will be gained in the winter of 2005/2006. To achieve
this, boat, questionnaire and shoreline surveys are planned and identification charts will be
distributed to fishermen and visiting naturalists with an in-country address for reporting sightings.
References
Van Waerebeek, K. et al. 2001. WAFCET 1 Report. A survey of the conservation status of cetaceans in Senegal,
The Gambia and Guinea-Bissau. Cetacea Informa 10 (18): 36-38.
Copyright © 2005 Dr. Roy Armstrong, Dr. Owen T Nevin, The Monachus Guardian. All Rights Reserved
Vol. 8 (2): December 2005
The National Marine Rubbish Tip of Zakynthos…
Last June I was in Zakynthos, where a viable population of monk seals (Monachusmonachus) still survives. The island also hosts the most important nesting area for
Caretta caretta in the EU and a National Marine Park; the importance of such an
area in an international context (for Italy also!) is therefore indubitable.
Well, let me say that on the island (it was the first time I had been there) I had a
strange feeling: from one side a feeling of wonder when, for example, I had the
unique chance to swim with the sea turtle and also to find seal tracks canoeing by a
remote beach on the west coast (it is one of very few places in the EU where you
can experience a situation like that!). But on the other side, I must say that I had a
feeling of anger and helplessness: in fact, it seems that nothing is going on to save
such a unique marine ecosystem! The beaches that should be “the sanctuary” for
nesting turtles look more like a sort of garbage dump. I saw with my own eyes the
tracks of the turtles coming out of the sea, looking for a square meter of sand to dig
and lay eggs, forced to dig in the loads of rubbish, and abandon the beach
unsuccessfully… Volunteers present at the beaches confirmed it. This incredible
situation happened inside the Park, right in the “core” area (zone “A”)! It’s
unbelievable, because a couple of days of hard work would probably be enough to
clean all the beaches of Lagana gulf.
But regrettably, rubbish does not seem to be the only problem for nesting turtles. No
real control on tourists’ behaviour seems to exist on these beaches: everyone can
stay and place a beach umbrella where eggs have been laid the night before; light
and noise are high during night time too, increasing human structures in the Park
(legal? – I do not think so) are present on the most important beaches (e.g. Dafni
beach); little or no information on such a unique environment is available. Things
really seem to be turning out badly for the turtles…!
The only partial exception to such a sad situation is Gerekas beach, which is
partially clean and where a good volunteer staff is working. But the most important
area for turtles in the EU, in the core of a National Park, can’t be without
surveillance! Volunteers are important but absolutely not enough!
Concerning the monk seal, simply let me underline and recall that no action, no
studies and no protection measures are officially being undertaken on such a small
but viable population, belonging to the most endangered species of marine mammal
of Europe…! Its presence is probably even more important than the turtles in an
international context...!
I recently sent a letter to the Greek authorities (the Ministry of Environment)
concerning the matter, but of course I do not expect any result as a consequence…
– Claudio Groff, Trento, Italy
Demetres Karavellas, Director of WWF Greece, replies:
As a representative of one of the NGOs that have been active on Zakynthos for
many years, I cannot but share the concern of your reader on the present state of
affairs on the island. Regarding firstly the issue of monk seal conservation, I can
confirm the fact that this island hosts a small but important population of this
species. Following years of local field research, we put together a comprehensive
conservation plan, calling for the establishment and management of a marine
protected area throughout the range of the monk seal habitat. This was submitted to
the relevant Ministry of Environment for official adoption and legal enactment.
Regrettably, despite our continued lobbying we have seen little progress from the
side of the Greek government. Nevertheless, we will continue to push for what most
Monachus Guardian readers consider so blatantly obvious – effective in situconservation measures for one of the most endangered species in the world.
With regard to the marine turtle habitat, it is true that the situation of the National
Marine Park of Zakynthos was totally unacceptable this summer. NGOs such as
WWF Greece and Archelon submitted repeated complaints both to the EU and the
Greek authorities. Through an e-campaign that we ran, the Greek Minister for
Environment received over 20,000 emails in 48 hours, urging him to take action. On
the ground, in the absence of public wardening, our volunteers did all they could to
safeguard the beaches.
I might also add that the long term protection of the core of the Park, Sekania beach
(which your reader may not have visited as it is only accessible by researchers with
special permits) was in fact secured when WWF Greece purchased the land
surrounding the beach so as to avoid the threat of tourism infrastructure
encroaching on the beach. The most important nesting site for sea turtles in the
entire Mediterranean was conserved through a non-governmental initiative.
All this is clearly not enough. Inevitably, there is a limit to what NGOs can do to
conserve endangered species and their habitats. The government has a critical
responsibility to respond to the needs of such areas and put in place the appropriate
legislation and management mechanisms to deliver. It cannot remain indifferent to
the degradation of such valuable biodiversity hotspots.
There is a glimpse of hope. Under strong pressure from the EU, the management
body for the Park is now being re-established and is being offered initial funding to
hire the necessary personnel.
There is still a great deal more that needs to be done. From our side, all I can do is
to assure your concerned reader that we will persist, both in the field but also in the
policy arena, to make Zakynthos a safer haven for its wonderful fauna.
Ghost site still entangling researchers
I’ve been researching Hawaiian Monk Seals for a college research paper and your
old website was set up as a link from a U.S. government website.
I happened to find your new website by accident during a web search.
Would it be possible for you to update your old website “www.monachus.org” with a
link to your new website “www.monachus-guardian.org”?
Thanks!
– Diana Dority, University of California, Santa Cruz, USA.
Editor’s reply:
We have taken up this issue with IFAW on a number of occasions, having received
many verbal and written enquiries regarding the lack of forwarding links on the old
monachus.org web site.
Unfortunately, the news from IFAW (which has controlled the site from early 2002) is
far from positive. While expressing regret for any inconvenience, the organisation
has let it be known that updating the site with forwarding links is still not a priority.
If many readers find that response puzzling – given the paltry effort and expense
that would be involved in adding links – so do we.
Unfortunately, it appears that students, teachers, researchers and journalists who
are searching for up-to-date information on the monk seal and who are mistakenly
referred to the moribund monachus.org, will continue to be told that the latest issue
online is from November 2001.
Tagged seal at the Four Seasons
A tagged seal has been hauled out on our beach at the Four Seasons Resort
Hualalai on the Big Island of Hawaii for the past 2 days. Its orange tag on the right
rear flipper indicated it was H46 [Later corrected to H45, ed.]. A large area around
the seal is roped-off. There have been 4 different seals hauled out here in the last
year (this is the first tagged one). Who would know the history of this seal?
– David Chai, Four Seasons Resort, Hawaii
Editor’s note: We passed this enquiry on to Thea Johanos-Kam of NOAA,who replied:
We are interested in all monk seal sightings, and sightings of tagged seals are of
special importance. To report Hawaiian monk seal sightings, please call the Monk
Seal Sighting Line at (808) 983-5715. To report problems such as monk seal
strandings or harassments, please call the NOAA Fisheries Hotline at (888) 256-
9840. Because red/orange H46 is not a valid tag, the seal reported with orange tag
H46 on the right hind flipper is most likely RH44, a seal with tag H45 on the right
hind flipper (originally red, faded to orange). This seal is female and was born at
Poipu on Kauai in 2000. She remained on Kauai through 2003, was sighted on
Oahu in 2004, and then moved to the Big Island by March 2005.
The editor reserves the right to edit letters for the sake of clarity and space
Copyright © 2005 The Monachus Guardian. All Rights Reserved
Vol. 8 (2): December 2005
In Print
● Adam, Peter J. 2004. Monachus tropicalis. Mammalian Species 747: 1-11. [PDF 516 KB]
● Di Guardo, G., G. Marruchella, U. Agrimi, S. Kennedy. 2005. Morbillivirus infections in
aquatic mammals: a brief overview. Journal of Veterinary Medicine Series A - Physiology
Pathology Clinical Medicine 52 (2): 88-93.
● Donohue, M.J. 2005. Eastern Pacific Ocean source of Northwestern Hawaiian Islands
marine debris supported by errant fish aggregating device. Marine Pollution Bulletin 50 (8):
886-888.
● Fyler, C.A., T.W. Reeder, A. Berta, G. Antonelis, A. Aguilar, E. Androukaki. 2005.
Historical biogeography and phylogeny of monachine seals (Pinnipedia : Phocidae) based
on mitochondrial and nuclear DNA data. Journal of Biogeography 32 (7): 1267-1279.
● Güçlüsoy, H., C.O. Kiraç, N.O. Veryeri and Y. Savas. 2004. Status of the Mediterranean
Monk Seal, Monachus monachus (Hermann, 1779) in the Coastal Waters of Turkey. E.U.
Journal of Fisheries & Aquatic Sciences 21 (3-4): 201–210.
● Honnold, S.P., R. Braun, D.P. Scott, C. Sreekumar, J.P. Dubey. 2005. Toxoplasmosis in a
Hawaiian monk seal (Monachus schauinslandi). Journal of Parasitology 91 (3): 695-697.
● Marine Mammal Commission. 2005. Annual Report to Congress, 2004. Marine Mammal
Commission, Bethesda, Maryland: 1-163. [PDF 2.1MB]
● Nielsen, O., K. Nielsen, R. Braun, L. Kelly. 2005. A comparison of four serologic assays in
screening for Brucella exposure in Hawaiian monk seals. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 41 (1):
126-133.
● Solow, A.R. 2005. Inferring extinction from a sighting record. Mathematical Biosciences 195
(1): 47-55.
TMG thanks Alexandros Karamanlidis and Harun Güçlüsoy for their help in compiling this listing
Copyright © 2005 The Monachus Guardian. All Rights Reserved
Vol. 8 (2): December 2005
The Monachus Guardian
ISSN: 1480-9370
Editor: William M. Johnson
Production Editor: Matthias Schnellmann
Published by: Friends of the Monk Seal
c/o M. Schnellmann
Wernerstr. 26
CH-3006 Bern
Switzerland
All e-mail communications, including letters to the Editor, should be sent to:
The views expressed in The Monachus Guardiando not necessarily reflect those of its publishers or financial supporters.
© 2005 Friends of the Monk Seal. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright © 2005 The Monachus Guardian. All Rights Reserved